ptatc

And in other news, water is wet. AJ has always been and will always be an a**. Nobody likes him. We've been saying this since he got here. Players tolerate him if things are going well. Remember Garland's quotes about him being tolerated in the clubhouse. This is not news. It's just coming out again because the other story is that the team is playing awful.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:36 PM) I saw 2 hits come tumbling in after Konerko's HR. Guess how many I saw after each of Ozzie 2 out steal attempts? Anyway - I'm not saying I want to see guys swing for the fences. But, stop taking the bat out of the hands of other guys who can hit. f***ing aggravating.... and THAT is what is not working. Neither is waiting for a hit. The average and OBP are awful as well.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:34 PM) Sox are 12-26 stealing this season Just another part of the awful offense this year just like the team BA and OBP, so waiting for a hit isn't likely either. This is why you need to continue to try different things.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:30 PM) That's not true. If he plays by any book, it's the very outdated one. It's the book that says a lefty always hits better against a righty and that you always want your lefty pitching to left-handed hitters. You mean like leaving Ohman in to face more than just lefties. He needs to pick his spots better and I don't always agree with it bit someone will complain no matter what he does.

QUOTE (TomPickle @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:29 PM) I think what most people complain about is that the Sox brought in Will Ohman to be a LOOGY (presumably) and Ozzie doesn't even try to use him as one. I agree with this. A man(ager) has got to know his (players) limitations.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:30 PM) Sox win when they hit HRs. It's that simple. True. But when they aren't doing it for long strecthes, you need to try something else instead of doing the Lou Pinella impersonation and falling asleep.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:26 PM) We can discuss the high rate of steals. Let's start with this game. Just 1 game. Easy..... How many attempts? How many successful? Doesn't matter. When the status quo isn't working try something different. Even if the Sox win it doesn't change that the offense is struggling. Don't focus on one game focus on the big picture of getting the offense going.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:23 PM) Hey - here's something positive and I mean this sincerely...no negativity. I'm impressed that Ozzie let Crain handle the 8th (though, I noticed he was warming Sale for his R-L bulls***) but didn't stop Crain's momentum. That was good to see. He finally kept himself out of the f***ing game. We may actually win this one. That's different most people complain he doesn't follow the book enough. I do agree with you on this one though.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:21 PM) It's stupid cause they always get caught. Our success rate seems to be below 50% this season. When nothing nothing else is working try something else. The offense has been awful lately so you may as well be aggressive. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of .........

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:10 PM) Yeah, another failed steal attempt (squandered baserunner). This time, he asks a guy to steal just seconds after getting pegged in the f***ing elbow. Genius. Go Ozzie! So true, it's really difficult to run when your elbow hurts.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 2, 2011 -> 09:10 PM) Rios swinging the bat really well tonight. Just when you get excited, you get frustrated by another stupid caught stealing. Yes, it's stupid because sitting back and waiting for the home run has been doing well for the offense lately. Or maybe it's the extremely high rate of hits our offense is producing.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 07:46 PM) Don't misunderstand my point - I'm not blaming just Ozzie. But if you're rational, you start somewhere meaninful and impactful. And he damn sure is a good place to start. That I can agree with. I don't think he is the problem but if things don't change soon changes will need to be made.

QUOTE (Andrew @ May 2, 2011 -> 07:13 PM) Yeah, and that's the line he premises the entire article on which is what I think fires me up. I'm tired of hearing that it's on the players. That's the easy excuse. Everyone in baseball decided there shouldn't be a cap, the union guarantees and rules are what they are, everyone agreed, and that's how it is. They are overpaid children, but that doesn't change the fact that Managers are STILL RESPONSIBLE to be sure your team is prepared, executes, and gets the results. I run a business - I wish I had the luxury of going - "Ah well, even though the $ on top notch marketing has been spent, we put together a great product, got the phones ringing, generated interest, but the sales guys just aren't closing the deals" all the while managers, systems, and resources are also being paid for with no repercussions for anyone. Especially when that "talent" has demonstrably proven it's ability to perform in the past. It's bulls*** and it doesn't apply to any business or product anywhere else in the world, yet this s*** keeps getting shoved down our throats. KW has been changing bodies and even went so far as to go against his entire team building philosophy just this past year. He's right about the same results; he's wrong about changing bodies under the laundry being the solution. Actually, blaming the problems on a single person such as the manager is the easy way out. The first few loses were on the pen, most of the recent ones have been on the offense, all bit PK and TCQ probably. I'm not the biggest Ozzie fan here, although I do think he is an above average manger, but to blame him for all of these things is just wrong. It's just easier to take it out on a single person and it's easier to get rid of one person.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 29, 2011 -> 06:15 PM) Is it Rios' left or right big toe? If it's his RIGHT, that's a much bigger issue, since it's the plant foot and would severely affect his power and drive at the plate, as well as jumps in CF. Where's PTAC? Is it like "turf toe" or something different? How long would they theoretically need to shut him down for him to be 100%? Is it one of those injuries that you just have to play through during the season, but where it won't get any worse but it can possibly be healing and then regress again or be re-aggravated? I'm not sure what the injury is. If it is turf toe, it will really inhibit any push off with that foot or running. Turf toe is a sprain of the ligaments and capsule on the inside of the big toe. This will limit any activity where alot of weight is put on that foot. Whenever you run or walk you must dorsiflex (raise up) the toe at least to 70 degrees. This is next too impossible to do with turf toe. It is an injury which can take up to 6-8 weeks to heal depending on the severity of the sprain. Real severe ones can end careers.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Apr 27, 2011 -> 11:04 AM) I'm with BigSqwert. I loved Buerhle's play, and likely the "better" play, but there was just something crazy about the way Iguchi had to contort his body with the MASSIVE spin on the ball to make that throw 3 inches off the ground parrallel to it was just incredible. I voted Iguchi for the same reason. Plus being there live adds a little for me.

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 26, 2011 -> 09:10 PM) We lose that game with CQ in RF Ozzie is an idiot. How dare he pinch run for CQ and keep Lillibridge in RF. Lilibridge shouldn't have even made the team. Milledge should have made the team instead. (yes, this should be in green)

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 26, 2011 -> 08:07 PM) Morel needs to go to AAA and be told to pull every pitch he sees. No more of this NL pitching style bulls*** at the plate. But I thought that is the only thing Walker can teach.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 26, 2011 -> 07:06 PM) I really question why Morel is still playing in games. He's providing nothing offensively, and we can't sacrifice at bats just for someone who's supposed to be a good fielder. You need to stick with young struggling players and help them develop. Once the Sox decided to give him the 3B job, they need to stick with him or send him to the minors. He will not improve sitting on the bench.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 26, 2011 -> 07:01 PM) Dunn hits that one out later on in th season Well he's missing alot of them now.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 24, 2011 -> 01:20 PM) Merk Anything under 80 pitches really doesn't matter anymore. He needs to do the side sessions between starts to build strength. However, until he has the strength to get to 100, there is no imminent return to the majors. It's all the process of building strength.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 11:08 PM) I think a lot of you haters are going to be choking on those harsh words about Peavy. I think he's going to be effective by June and dominant by July/August. I think we'll know long before that.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 22, 2011 -> 10:37 PM) Seriously though, it's starting to feel like all of those Prior/Wood "simulated games" and "towel exercises" that we used to hear all about. Same theory of building up strength as the simulated games but I prefer the Sox method of real games. The towel drill is just a mechanics teaching drill which most people don't subscribe to.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Apr 21, 2011 -> 12:47 PM) Well, he HAS pitched, just not up here. Like ptac said, no one really knows how this particular injury is going to affect him. All we can hope for is that these are just growing pains in his process of getting better. They are going to keep going through the same process of trying to increase his number of pitches to 100 in consecutive appearances without pain. that's when they'll bring him up. Currently his limit seems to be about 75-80. The endurance of the arm just isn't there yet.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 19, 2011 -> 11:33 PM) From Sun Times story. My god, he takes anti inflamm medicine for six days and maybe starts throwing Friday. How can that be good news? I'm not stressing cause I'm not counting on him pitching more than a start or two this season. I'd just shut him down frankly until next year, unless all of this discomfort, etc., is totally "normal." ptatc? any opinion? shut him down for the year? Shutting him down will do no good. He needs to throw. He has done all of the strengthening possible short of pitching. He spent 3 months strengthening the shoulder in non-pitching ways. The injury is healed, the muscles have been worked on. Shutting him down will only make the muscles weaker and make it tougher later. The only hurdle he needs to overcome is actual throwing. You can't train for a marathon by walking. He needs to throw and they need to gradually build it up and take care of the shoulder as problems arise. All of the problems have been with inflammation not structural damage. This is treated with the medication and some rest then the strengthening must resume. The big question is can the shoulder hold up to the throwing with the stress of pitching. since this has never been done before, it's all trial and error with educated guesswork. The Sox are following current medical knowledge and protocol for something like this. Maybe we'll find out how important the lat is to the throwing motion from how everything reacts during his continuing rehab.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 05:02 PM) Removing dominant starters after eight innings really is a sucky part of modern baseball. Is there any proof one more inning, considering the adrenaline the pitcher would have, helps ruin arms? Mark and Danks should have completed easy, clean, victories recently. These clean victories can set a tone for a season. Instead we see what happens when you start anew and bring in a reliever. I say we need a brave manager or GM or owner (Nolan Ryan) to say "f*** pitch counts" when starters are dominant through eight. Let 'em finish their masterpieces. Did Picasso let some clown finish his work at the end? Oops I meant 'change' in my headline. can somebody change it? You're going to need the pen at some point. You've got to try to work them through problems. Letting them sit on the bench will not help them improve. You might as well try it now because if the pen is bad, the season is over. The starters can't complete every game. Actually, there is a theory out there that Picasso did leave some of his work to be finished by others, A child of his i believe.